Carpe Vita Explorer

Carpe Vita Explorer

Departing Male, Republic of Maldives, the motor vessel Carpe Vita Explorer accommodates 20 passengers in 10 air-conditioned cabins. Seven to Fourteen night itineraries ply the waters between atolls while diving on spectacular seamounts.

All of the diving is done from the Dhoni where dive equipment remains set up for the entire cruise. All of the diving in the Maldives is 100 feet deep or less. The reef are teeming with marine life with many different species found in few other destinations. Lion Fish, anemones, octopus and moray eels are commonly seen. Whale sharks, mantas and dolphins are always sought after. The dive guides are excellent at sighting rare creatures like frog fish, ribbon eels and scorpion fish.

Thirteen crew members take care of you from the time you wake until you lie down for the night. The trip cost includes on board accommodations, meals and snacks, non-alcoholic beverages, up to 4 dives daily and airport transfers.

Carpe Vita Explorer offers 11 different itineraries throughout the year that explore 21 different atolls and over 300 dive sites. Trips range from 7 to 14 nights and highlight the best The Maldives has to offer.

Below is a sample itinerary for 1 of the 4 classic routes available.

Sunday: Male. Guests board vessel around 3 pm; welcome briefing, documents; check out dive.
Monday: North Male, 3 dives; Approximately 3 hr crossing from North Male to Rasdhoo (North Ari). Night spent anchored in Rasdhoo.
Tuesday-Wednesday: North Ari, 3 dives daily. Night spent anchored.
Thursday: North Ari, 1 dive; South Ari, 3 dives. Night spent anchored.
Friday-Saturday: South Ari, 3 dives. Nighttime crossing to Meemu, approximately 4 ½ hr (as weather permits).
Sunday: Meemu 3 dives and cross to Vaavu for night dive. Night spent anchored in Vaavu
Monday: Vaavu 2 dives. Approximately 2 ½ hr crossing from Vaavu to South Male after the second dive. South Male 2 dives
Tuesday: South Male, 2 dives maximum depending on guest flight schedules and the 24 hour requirement before flying.
Wednesday: Depart the vessel latest by 8 am. Due to the necessity of readying the vessel for our next cruise, we must strictly enforce this early departure.

 

Other itineraries available on The Carpe Vita Explorer:

Classic routing– 4 itineraries available 7 or 10 nights
South shark routing– 2 itineraries available 10 or 11 nights
Far North Exploration– 2 itineraries available 11 or 14 nights
Manta trip– 2 itineraries available 7 nights
Whale Shark by Night– 7 nights
Deep South– 7 nights
 
Name: Carpe Vita Explorer
Built: 2011
Port of Registration: Male’ / Republic of Maldives
Length: 127 feet
Width: 34 feet
Maximum Guests: 20
No. of Cabins: 10 (2 Suite, 2 Deluxe, 6 Standard)
No. of Bathrooms: 13
Air-Condition: In any enclosed area of the Boat and in each Cabin
No of Crew: 10 + 3 on the diving dhoni
Engine: DoosanDaewoodMarine Diesel, HP 800
Fuel Tank Capacity: 2 x Tanks of 6,000 liters per Tank (Total 12 tons)
Navigation: GPS, Sounder
Communication: VHF Radio, Internet, GSM
Generators:
2 x Zenith Isuzu 52KW Marine-Gen set
1 x Zenith Isuzu 16KW Marine-Gen set
Electric Voltage: 220 / 50 Hz, 3 Phase, 24hrs/ day
Fresh Water Capacity: 10,000 Liters
Water Maker:
1 x WASCO Desalinator 400 Liters/hr. 
1 x WASCO Desalinator 600 Liters/hr. 
Safety equipment:
Smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, life jackets, emergency alarm
Laundry Service: Yes
Diving Dhoni: 1 L: 61 feet/ W: 20 feet
Nitrox: Yes
HP Compressors: 2 x L&W 420 electric
Nitrox Gen: Nitrox L&W
FA Oxygen on board: YES, 10,500 Liters
Dive Gear Rental: Yes –Scubapro

What are the arrival procedures and the check-in time?
When you fly in on the same day of commencement of your trip, you will be met upon arrival by a representative of Carpe Diem Maldives, who can be identified by a crew polo or t-shirt and signboard with the companies’ logo. In case you can not find anyone please contact +9607950883.  Should you stay in a hotel prior to your trip with us, we will meet you at the Airport info/help desk arrivals hall at 2:30PM. We are not able to provide pickups from hotels.

What time does the boat get back to port?
The day before disembarkation the boat usually comes back to port between 3 and 4 pm after which guests will be offered a visit to Male’city, which will take around 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

What kind of plug type do you have onboard?
We have 3 pin UK type power sockets on the boat and provide adapters for other plug types. The voltage is 220 V.

Can I pay the extras by credit card on the boat?
Payments for extras taken on the boat can be settled in either cash (USD or EUROs) or by credit card. We accept all major credit cards (VISA, MASTER and AMERICAN EXPRESS).

What size of tanks do you provide?
We provide 11.5 and 13.5 liter aluminum tanks FOC and have 15 liter steel tanks upon request and at an extra charge. As we only have a limited number of 15 liter steel tanks it is important to reserve them in advance.
Extra cost for 15 liter steel tanks:
150 USD for 7 nights and 200 USD for 10 nights
All rates are subject to 12% GST surcharge.

Do you have DIN/INT tanks?
We can provide for both connections, so no need to bring adapters

Do you have Nitrox?
Yes, we do at extra charge. 150 USD for 7 night trip/ 200 USD for 10 night + 12 % GST

What is the average water temperature?
Average water temperature all year round is 27/28 degrees Celsius (81/82 Fahrenheit)

Do you have Wifi onboard?
We have wireless routers on board that work on 3G basis. The internet connection will be good enough to read emails but not fast enough for large downloads. Connection speed depends on the location of the boat. Fee will be of 15 USD p/p + GST for 7 night trip and 20 USD p/p + GST for 10 night trips.

Carpe Vita Explorer

Carpe Vita Explorer Carpe Vita Explorer

Maldives

Dives

Foammulah
Foammulah Plateau – This is an advanced dive for experienced divers only. There is a deep plateau where tiger sharks, thresher sharks, oceanic mantas, hammerheads, and silky sharks can be found. Swimming in the blue divers can encounter any number of sharks and oceanic mantas on this site. This is a very thrilling dive site for advanced divers.

Fuvah Mulaku – This is an advanced drift wall dive. Oceanic silver tips, thresher sharks, tiger sharks, barracuda, and yellowfin tunas can be found here. Currents can be unpredictable.

Gaafdhal
Maarehaa – This is a channel dive where divers can expect to find strong currents and excellent pelagic life. This is a deep dive and only suitable for advanced divers.

Vadhoo Corner – This is a channel dive for advanced divers. Leopard sharks and grey reef sharks are found between 25 and 30 meters. Currents can be strong on this dive site and divers must be comfortable diving in the current.

Kondey Coral Gardens – This is suitable for all levels of divers. Coral blocks with soft and hard corals are located here. Turtles and schooling fish are found on this dive site.

Gemana Fushi Out – This is a blue water dive to look for Hammerhead Sharks. It is only suitable for advanced divers as the majority of the dive is below 25 meters.

Villingillu Kandu – This is an advanced channel dive for many varieties of pelagics. Currents can be strong and unpredictable which is what attracts the sharks in their hundreds to this dive site. Grey reef, white tips, silvertip sharks and occasionally silky sharks are seen on this dive site.

Meemu Atoll
Muli Kandu is a long drift dive along the channel. The reef has a rounded top at 15m and the outer end of the finger slopes down to 30m. Tuna, jacks, trevallies, napoleon, batfish, bannerfish, moray eels, and turtles are regularly spotted here. Muli Kandu is also a good spot to see manta rays during the months of May – December.

North Male Atoll

Manta Point – Manta point has a worldwide reputation for being one of the most consistent sites for attracting large numbers of manta rays. In 8 meters of water in Lankan reef are several large coral rocks that mark the point where mantas come to be cleaned in the southwest monsoon season. Mantas have been spotted here as early as April and as late as December. The cleaner wrasse are often observed swimming to the mantas to remove old skin and parasites. The mantas circle around the rocks waiting for their turn to be cleaned. Divers should not chase after the mantas as this will scare them away. Divers should stay together at a discreet distance away from the top of the cleaning station, staying low down so as to give the mantas the higher ground.

Rasdhoo Atoll

Rasdhoo-Madivaru – On the outside wall of Rasdhoo-Madivaru hammerhead sharks can be spotted early in the morning. Hammerheads swim in small groups and can be very timid. Rasdhoo-Madivaru has one of the most spectacular reef systems in Ari. A narrow spur like a bridge extends out from the reef of Rasdhoo-Madivaru part of the way across the channel, rising to a peak at 13 meters. On the other side, the reef descends to around 200 meters. Along the spur, fish life is prolific ranging from pelagics like schooling barracuda, trevally and little tuna to reef fish like blue-striped snapper, fusilier and batfish.

Vaavu (Felidhe) Atoll – Fotteyo – ranges in depth from 3m – 30m. This is often cited as the best dive site in the Maldives by photographers due to its amount of soft corals, caves and overhangs, all in various colors. Fish life includes white-tip reef sharks, schools of sweetlips, triggerfish, groupers, trevally, barracuda and grey reef sharks.

Baa Atoll
Hanifaru Bay – Hanifaru Bay is a sanctuary for people who love snorkeling with manta rays and whale sharks. This UNESCO biosphere reserve in the Maldives is legally designated as a Marine Protected Area. There are strict regulations are in place to protect and preserve this amazing wonder. The reef at Hanifaru Bay is like a funnel that is about 1300 meters, the inner narrow part of the funnel is about 600 meters and that is where whale sharks and mantas are found more common. The manta season is from May to November. In this period, plankton gets trapped in the funnel-like reef and concentration of planktons attracts schools of manta rays and sometimes whale sharks. At any time there could be over a hundred mantas feeding off the coral reef. This is the world’s largest feeding station known to exist.

Maldives Map

Maldives

Raa Atoll

Vaadu Thila – This is a pinnacle dive with unpredictable currents. Good macro life can be found here as well as passing sharks. The best depth to dive this thila is between 15 and 25 meters.

Solar Corner – This is a manta cleaning station which offers the opportunity to see mantas being cleaned at a depth of between 12-15m. You can also expect to see batfish, snappers, and stingrays. The reef starts at 5 meters, with the cleaning station at 12 meters. The reef then gently slopes down to 25 meters.

Noonu Atoll
Christmas Rock – This is a pinnacle dive suitable for all levels. It is a large pinnacle in the shape of a Christmas Tree, made up of plateau’s, ledges, arrow shaped rocks and swim throughs with pretty coral reefs. The top reef starts at 3 meters, with the top thila at 14 meters, dropping down to more than 30 meters. Expect to see megafauna life and macro on this site.

Miyaru Thila – This is a pinnacle dive with the pinnacle being located in the middle of the atoll. Grey reef sharks feed here and also leopard sharks, guitar sharks, and eagle rays are regular visitors. Suitable for all levels.

Orimas – This is a grey reef shark cleaning station, which is best viewed from the channel. It is a medium sized thila and you can also expect to see leopard and guitar sharks, as well as barracuda, snappers, and stingrays.

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